The Social Archeology Channel

For kids who had a hunger for the occasional spooky story, the early days of Nickelodeon had something right up their alley, guaranteed to raise a few goosebumps. Debuting in 1992 as part of the SNICK lineup, Are You Afraid of the Dark gathered a group of kids in the dark and desolate woods, to weave tales of the macabre around the time-honored campfire and scare each other silly. Continue reading...

Amusing small fries for over fifty years, Mr. Potato Head has been made from a variety of materials. But whether his stout stature was comprised of Styrofoam, plastic, or even the common solanum tuberosum (that's MISTER Solanum Tuberosum to you), this master of disguise has become more than just a toy: he's a movie star, a spokespud, and an American icon. Continue reading...

All’s fair in love and thumb war. Once the battle cry of “One, two, three, four, I declare a Thumb War!” has been proclaimed and fingers have been interlaced…It’s ON. Your goal: pin your opponents thumb down for at least a second. There are no time limits, though tactics abound; you can either pin your enemy/friend right away, or hang back and let them struggle and tire themselves out before you go in for the final and sometimes brutal attack. Some legendary games have gone on for what seemed like days with the opponents waiting to seize the perfect opportunity to go in for the kill. This is thumb wrestling and it's been a traditional childhood sparring activity since time immortal (or at least a few decades). Continue reading...

In 1982, theater audiences were introduced to a loveable critter from another planet, affectionately named E.T. in the blockbuster Steven Spielberg film of the same name. At that point in movie history, it was the most financially successful film to date, and captured the hearts of millions of children. As a result, the marketing floodgates opened. Perhaps the biggest benefactor was Reece’s, whose new Reece’s Pieces were prominently featured in the film as the cuddly alien’s favorite candy. And as packages of the peanut butter flavored morsels flew off of store shelves, it seemed only natural to give the extraterrestrial his own breakfast cereal. Continue reading...

Back in the 80s, the Cold War was still a very real threat so, naturally, the whole global thermonuclear annihilation thing provided an exciting theme for an arcade game. Missile Command, released by Atari in 1980, took advantage of the perpetual U.S. vs. U.S.S.R. standoff to create a virtual world where missiles were indeed flying fast and furious and only you and your quarters could save the country. Continue reading...

"It's never too late if you care enough!"Wise words from a kindhearted clan of bears who had already spread their particular brand of unconditional love via a very successful line of greeting cards and stuffed children’s toys. Now it was time to warm the hearts of their young admires with a feature film in 1985, The Care Bears Movie. With some help from a few other furry critters, the Care Bears reminded all watching that love is always the answer. Continue reading...

By the end of the 90s, the melding of rock and rap music was a common occurrence, with bands like Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit at the forefront of the fusion. But credit for starting this trend lies solely with Run-DMC, whose inclusion of distorted guitars and slamming drumbeats defined the genre of hardcore rap, and created crossover appeal for the first time. Rap was no longer a mere niche, it was a formidable force to be reckoned with. Continue reading...

There isn’t a child of the 90s that doesn’t remember the pog craze that swept the nation. But while most might assume that the game was nothing more than a fad, dreamed up by advertising executives who wanted every kid to collect an assortment of advertisements and movie-tie ins, the history of these little disc is far more colorful and extensive than one might suspect. Continue reading...